Controlling mechanism for internal-combustion engines.



L. R. EVANS. CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 18.15MB- 1,263,,O%, Patented A r. 16,1918.

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CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

Original application filed April 17,1915, Serial No. 22,212. Divided and this application filed December 18, 1915. Serial No. 67,691.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEIGH R. EvANs, a citizen of the United States, and .a resident of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Controlling Mechanism for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for controlling internal combustion engines and particularly to such devices for controlling engines used for propelling bicycles and the like.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a novel controlling mechanism for the engines used for propelling bicycles by means of which the speed may be regulated and the starting of the engine facilitated by the simple manipulation of a single hand lever or other manually operable means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple controlling mechanism of the character specified in which the speed of the engine is controlled by advancing and retarding the ignition, and in which the compression is relieved by a movement of the same controlling lever to permit the engine to be easily started, or to obtain a further speed regulation.

Further objects and advantages will ap pear as the description of the invention progresses.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred physical embodiment of the invention and in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a view of an engine suitable for propelling a bicycle or the like with the controlling mechanism embodying the invention applied thereto; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section through the engine cylinder showing the relief valve and the connected parts for operating it.

This application is a division of my prior application Serial No. 22,212, filed April 17,

cle for propelling the same. I Theparticular construction of the engine forms no part of the present invention and since its construction and, the manner of attachment to the frame of an ordinary bicycle is fully shown and described in my prior application here- 'inbefore mentioned, a detail description of suitable or Well known construction capable of having the time of ignition varied through a comparatively wide range, and consists of the. usual permanent magnets 5, a rotor or armature, and circuit breaker (not shown),

said circuitbreaker beingarrangedso that the point in the revolution of the armature at which the break occurs may be regulated by the oscillation of an arm 6. The armature of the magneto M is connected to the crank shaft ofthe engine by suitable gearing so as to rotate in timed relation thereto, being preferably driven by a. sprocket chain and sprocket wheels as shown anddescribed in my prior application above mentioned. The magneto M is connected by a suitable insulated flexible cable 7 in the usual way to a spark plug 8 of suitable construction screwed into a tapped hole 9 (see Fig. 2) leading into tihe cnnbustion chamber of the engine cylinr ran srn rns rnrnnr ennron.

LEIGH n. EVANS, or ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO cYoLnMo'ron CORPORATION,

The construction so far described is that of Y number of holes 12 communicating with a larger opening 13 leading into the combustion chamber of the engine, the lower edge of c said opening 13 being formed to afford a seat for a relief valve 14 having a stem 15 extending vertically through the head of the cylinder C. Pivotally mounted between its ends on a support 16 integral withor suitably secured to'the head of the cylinder G is a lever 17 which is preferably formed of sheet metal, the sidemargins thereof being bent downward to form parallel side flanges to which the pin pivotally connecting the lever 17 to the support 16 is fastened. One end of the lever 17 projects over the stem 15 of the valve 1a; and a lip or tongue 18 integral with said lever is doubled under and provided with a hole through which-passes the valve stem 15, a pin 19 being fixed transversely through said valve stem 15 above said lip 18, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. A compression coiled spring 20 encircles the valve stem 15 and bears at its lower end on'the head of the cylinder and at its upper end against the lip 18 of the lever 17; The other end of the lever 17 projectsbeyond the side of the cylinder C and has a hole 21 therein through which passes the control rod 10 which is connected tothe arm 6 vof the magneto M. Fixed to the control rod 10 below the lever 17 is a stop 22, which is arranged to strike the lever 17 and raise its outer end when the controlirod 10 is moved to itsupper limit. I s v i The operation of thecontrolling mecha nism shown and described is as follows: When the ongineis started, the lever 11 is manipulated to draw the control rod 10 to its upper position, in which position the stop '22 on said control rod strikes the lever 17, raises its outer end and depresses its inner end to press down the valve stem 15 andopen the valve 14. When the valve 1 1 is open the charge is expelled through the holes 12 instead of being compressed so that it is comparatively easy to drive the engine. In the;particularconstruction illustrated it isassumed that the engine is connected in some suitable way (not shown) tothe wheel of a bicycle and that therider by pedaling the bicycledrives the engine until sufiicient speed isobtained to suck in the necessary charge. As soon as this necessary speed is obtained,.the rider shifts the hand lever 11 to lower the control rod 10, thereby permitting the valve 141 to be closed by the spring 20; and as soon as the valve 1a is closed the piston compresses the charge drawn in and the engine commences to run under its own. power. By manipulating the hand lever ll the rider may advance and retard thetime of ignition and in this way regulate the speed of the enginoashe wishes. The arm 6 of the magneto M isshown'in its middle position .in the drawing and may be moved'upward. to "the point where the stop 22 almost' strikes the lever 17, so as to reduce the speed, or may be moved downward through a similar angle to advance the time of ignition and increase the speed of the engine, If necessary, the speed of the en gine maybe reduced further than is possible to do'so by merely regulating the time, of

i'gnition by opening the valve 14 and relievmg part. or all of the compression.

' While it is possible to proportion the sine of the holes 12 and the bore and stroke of the piston suchthat practicallyno compressionis produced-at low piston speeds, it is found that at high piston speeds, such as the engine may have when 'it' may be desired to open the valve 1 1 and cut off all power of the-engine, there is some compression, at least enough to cause an explosion if a hot and strong spark is produced in the cylinder at the same time. For this reason it is contemplated according to this invention that the magnetov will be so regulated at'th'e time when the relief valve 1 1- is opened that no spark is produced, or at least a spark too weak to explode the mixture at low compression pressures. Nith themagnetos as ordinarily constructed this is accomplished by shifting the point, at which the circuit breaker opens, to a point in the revolution 7 of the armature where said armature disposed in the field in a position so that comparatively. few lines of force pass through its windings and consequently a comparatively small electromotive force is generated. In other words, the parts are soarrange'd that when the control rod 10 is shifted to the upper position to open the relief valve 14,"the magneto is practically cut ofi. In this way the control mechanism may be so constructed that itis vpossible'to open the valve 14 whilethe engine is running at a comparatively high speed without causing popping by explosions in the engine cylinder escaping throughthe relief holes 12. I

The rod 10 is not required to transmit any great force and may be conveniently made comparatively thin, and in View of theconsiderable flexibility that such "athi'n rod is likelyto have and the fact that this rod must transmit a downward push'as well as an upward pull, it is desirable to provide means for guiding the rod 10 between its" ends. In the construction shown and described, this guiding means is afforded by the lever 17, since the hole 21 in said lever throughwhich the rod 10 passes is of substantially the'same size as said r.od10,'and also because the lever 17.is practically a fixed member as regards the ordinary movements of the rod 10 and only moves upwardly when. the stop '22 strikes said lever and considerable upward pull is exerted onsaid rod. In this conne'ction it should be noted that the outer end of the lever 17 cannot be .depressed below its position shown in Fig. 2, since'the doubledunder lip '18 integral with the lever 17 strikes the pin19 inthe valve stem 15, and the valve 14 being against its seat, no further upward movement of the inner end of the"lever,l 7 can take place. This is an important fealever 17 would carry the outer end of said lever downwardly to an extent sufficient to cramp or bind the rod 10 in the hole 21. In

a similar way, the tension of the spring 20 is exemplifies only one form or embodiment which my invention may take.

What I claim is: 1. In a controlling mechanism for internal combustion engines, in combination: an

igniting mechanism including a magneto caengage said lever and open said valve when said rod is moved to the position corresponding-to the fully retarded ignition.

2. In a controlling mechanism for internal combustion engines, in combination: an engine cylinder; a magneto for generating a spark in said engine cylinder to ignite an explosive charge therein; an arm for varying the point in the engine cycle at which the spark is generated by said magneto; a rod connected to said arm; manually operable means for actuating said rod; the head of said cylinder being formed with an outlet opening therein; a valve having a stem projecting through the head of said cylinder and adapted to close said outlet opening; a spring for holding said valve normally closed; a lever pivotally mounted on said cylinder and operatively connected to said valve stem; said rod extending loosely through a hole in the free end of said lever; and a stop on said rod arranged to engage said lever and move it to open said valve when saidrod is actuated to a position corresponding to the fully retarded position of said arm.

LEIGH R; EVANS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

